Sealed package and closure cap therefor



- /IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII May 31, 1966 A. W. HART SEALED PACKAGE AND CLOSURE CAP THEREFOR Filed March 8, 1965 IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII INVENTOR.

ALEXA/r00 h/ Hwr United States Patent 3,253,727 SEALED PACKAGE AND CLOSURE CAP THEREFOR Alexander W. Hart, Lancaster, Ohio, assignor to Anchor Hocking Glass Corporation, Lancaster, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Filed Mar. 8, 1965, Ser. No. 437,996 4 Claims. (Cl. 215-40) This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Serial No. 322,393, filed on November 8, 1963, and now Patent No. 3,174,640.

The present invention relates to the sealing art and more particularly to an improved closure cap for hermetically sealing a container. This cap is of the general type combining a metal shell and a sealing gasket such as are applied to glass and other containers by cooperating threads or logs or beads.

Closure caps of this general type are of great value for packaging a wide variety of products and they are particularly useful for sealing glass containers for food products. The closure cap of the present invention has a new structure providing a greatly improved hermetic sealing ability coupled with the desirable range of cap removal torques. This improved cap thus provides a seal for packaging products which require an extremely effective hermetic seal as air leakage during package life has been reduced by the improved closure cap and sealed package to a negligible amount.

Improving the effectiveness of the hermetic seal provided by closure caps heretofore invariably has caused an increase in the cap removal torque so that improvements in sealing characteristics have been accompanied by an increase of removal torques resulting in high and unpredictable ranges. As a result of these difficulties,

the caps have been applied too tightly and have been removed by the consumer with same ditliculty or the caps have been too loosely applied resulting in a loss of vacuum.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a closure cap having improved hermetic sealing characteristics combined with an acceptable range of removal torque and particularly having improved sealing characteristics and acceptable removal torques which do not vary objectionably over extended periods of package storage.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved hermetically sealed package.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a hermetically sealed package with twist type of closure having a predetermined and stable range of removal torque.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a closure cap and sealed package with improved storage characteristics including retention of vacuum and minimum variation of cap removal torque over extended periods.

Other and further objects of :the invention will be obvious upon an understanding of the illustrative embodi ment about to be described or will be indicated in the appended claims, and various advantages not referred to herein will occur to one skilled in the art upon employment of the invention in practice.

A preferred embodiment of the invention has been chosen for purposes of illustration and description and is shown in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the specification, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view partially cut away illustrating a preferred embodiment of the closure cap in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the closure cap of FIG. 1;

3,253,727 Patented May 31, 1966 FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of a preferred embodiment of a sealed package illustrating the closure cap of FIG. 1 in its sealed position on a container; and

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the closure cap of FIG. 1.

The closure cap 1 of the present invention comprises a cover 2 and a skirt 3 depending therefrom. The lower edge of the skirt 3 is rolled inwardly to form a head 4 and locking lugs 5 extend inwardly from the bead 4 at spaced intervals to permit the closure cap to be secured to a container 25.

The upper portion 7 of the skirt provides a gasket retention and gasket control portion and is set in from the generally cylindrical lower portion 8 of the skirt 3. An annular inwardly directed tapered gasket squeezing zone or bead 9 is formed at the juncture between upper portion 7 of the skirt and the lower portion 8 thereof. The bead 9 has an inclined upper wall 11 which facilitates the insertion and retention of the gasket 10 in the closure cap and also acts to squeeze the gasket 10 into sealing relationship with the side of the container as will be more fully described below.

The outer portion of the cap cover 2 is an annular relatively level top sealing zone 12. A gasket control surface is provided intermediate the level zone 12 of the closure cover 2 and the bead 9. This control surfacehas a relatively short cylindrical side sealing zone 14 connected by a small radius to a sealing zone 16 having a concave shape in cross-section. In the preferred crosssection of sealing zone 16 illustrated, the relatively straight outer edge is preferably slightly inclined as illustrated at 17 and it merges through an arcuate center section indicated by the radius 19 with an inner edge which also is preferably relatively straight and is inclined at an acute angle 20 from the level zone 12 at the edge of the cap cover 2. The central portion of the cover may have the usual depressed stacking panel 22 and may also be provided with a raised vacuum indicator panel 23.

The sealing gasket which is contained within the closure cap comprises a ring of rubber or another deformable material. The preferred gasket 10 illustrated is a ring out from a tube of rubber or a rubber-like material.

The gasket cross-section has a width which permits it to cover a substantial portion of the above described gasket control surface when pressed against it and a substantial'depth or thickness as illustrated so that its outer edge occupies the channel or recess formed adjacent the side sealing zone 14 between the bead 9 and the sealing zone 16 of the gasket control surface.

The sealing gasket 10 is inserted into the closure 1 and remains in position under the head 9 as illustrated gaging the inwardly projecting lugs 5 at the lower edge of the cap skirt 3.

A preferred embodiment of the jar rim finish is illustrated to cooperate with the closure cap 1 and to provide the improved sealing described abovecombining a high-quality hermetic seal with acceptable and predetermined removal torque characteristics. The preferred jar finish comprises an outer rounded corner 27 leading into a relatively straight and inclined portion 28 which leads to a reversed curve 29 intermediate the straight portion 28 and an inner rounded corner 30.- This finish is seen to correspond generally to the shape of the above described gasket control portion of the closure cap.

When the cap 1 is applied to the jar 25 and the gasket is forced against the jar finish by the gasket control surface of the cap 1, the rubber or rubber-like material of the gasket 10 deforms as illustrated in cross-section to provide an elongated curved and pinched portion 31 intermediate the two'generally similar curved surfaces provided by the cap gasket control surface and the jar finish and an extruded or squeezed side sealing portion 32 pressed against the jar by the squeezing portion of the bead 9. The inner edge 33 of the gasket 10 also is deformed so that it moves toward top and corner portions 29 and 30 of the jar rim to insure an additional inner sealing portion intermediate the rim corner 30 and the edge of the stacking panel 22.

It will be seen that the sealing gasket 10 in its sealed position presents an effective barrier to the passage of air as the closure cap and jar finish and gasket cooperate to cause the gasket to form a long and relatively thin air barrier.

At the same time, the above described cap and cap and jar combination have been found to give predictable and satisfactory removal torques which remain within a satisfactory range over extended storage periods.

The improved cap as well as the cap and jar combination have also proven to give consistently good seals even Where minor variations or imperfections may be present in the container finish.

As various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the part-s herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and without sacrificing any of its advantages, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. A closure cap comprising the combination of a cover at the top of the cap and a skirt at the lower portion of the cap provided with means for holding the cap on a container, said cover having at its periphery a relatively level top sealing zone, an inwardly convexly curved intermediate sealing zone extending outwardly and downwardly from the periphery'of said top sealing zone, a generally cylindrical side sealing zone extending downwardly from the periphery .of said intermediate sealing zone and forming the upper portion of said skirt, a bead extending inwardly from the lower edge of said intermediate sealing zone and forming therewith a shoulder, a connecting portion extending substantially radially out wardly from the lower edge of said head and continuing downwardly from its periphery into a substantially cylindrical extension forming the lower portion of said skirt and being of greater diameter than said upper portion of the skirt, and an annular deformable gasket positioned in said cap with its outer edge engaged in said side sealing zone and having an inwardly directed top surface engaging at least the outermost portion of said intermediate sealing zone and extending radially inwardly beneath said top sealing zone.

2. The closure cap as claimed in claim 1 in which said gasket is adhered to said intermediate sealing zone.

3. A sealed package comprising the combination of a container and a closure cap having a cover at the top of the cap and a skirt at the lower portion of the cap provided with means for holding the cap on the container, said cover having at its periphery a relatively level top sealing zone, an inwardly convexly curved intermediate sealing zone extending outwardly and downwardly from the periphery of said top sealing zone, a generally cylindrical side sealing zone extending downwardly from the periphery of said intermediate sealing zone and forming the upper portion of said skirt. a bead extending inwardly from the lower edge of said intermediate sealing zone and forming therewith a shoulder, a connecting portion extending substantially radially outwardly from the lower edge ofsaid bead and continuing downwardly from its periphery into a substantially cylindrical extension forming the lower portion of said skirt and being of greater diameter than said upper portion of the skirt, an annular deformable gasket positioned in said cap with its outer edge engaged in said side sealing zone and having an inwardly directed top surface engaging at least the outermost portion of said intermediate sealing zone and extending radially inwardly beneath said top sealing zone over the finish of the container, said finish comprising a rounded upper portion engaging the gasket below said top sealing zone of the cap and having also a downwardly and outwardly sloping portion having an outwardly facing concave shape pressing the gasket against said intermediate sealing portion of the cap and a lower outwardly facing convex shape pres-sing the gasket into the corner formed at the top of the generally cylindrical side sealing zone of the cap.

4. The sealed package as claimed in claim 3 in which said gasket is adhered to said intermediate sealing zone of the cap.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,005,563 9/1961 Stover 2l540 3,143,234- 8/1964 Foss et a1. 21540 JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner.

R. PESHOCK, Examiner. 

1. A CLOSURE CAP COMPRISING THE COMBINATION OF A COVER AT THE TOP OF THE CAP AND A SKIRT AT THE LOWER PORTION OF THE CAP PROVIDED WITH MEANS FOR HOLDING THE CAP ON A CONTAINER, SAID COVER HAVING AT ITS PERIPHERY A RELATIVELY LEVEL TOP SEALING ZONE, AN INWARDLY CONVEXLY CURVED INTERMEDIATE SEALING ZONE EXTENDING OUTWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY THE PERIPHERY OF SAID TOP SEALING ZONE, A GENERALLY FROM CYLINDRICAL SIDE SEALING ZONE EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM THE PERIPHERY OF SAID INTERMEDIATE SEALING ZONE AND FORMING THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID SKIRT, A BEAD EXTENDING INWARDLY FROM THE LOWER EDGE OF SAID INTERMEDIATE SEALING ZONE AND FORMING THEREWITH A SHOULDER, A CONNECTED PORTION EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY RADIALLY OURWARDLY FROM THE LOWER EDGE OF SAID BEAD AND CONTINUSING DOWNWARDLY FROM ITS PERIPHERY INTO A SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL EXTENSION FORMING THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID SKIRT AND BEING OF GREATER DIAMETER THAN SAID UPPER PORTION OF THE SKIRT, AND AN ANNULAR DEFORMABLE GASKET POSITIONNED IN SAID CAP WITH ITS OUTER EDGE ENGAGED IN SAID SIDE SEALING ZONE AND HAVING AN INWARDLY DIRECTED TOP SURFACE ENGAGING AT LEAST THE OUTERMOST PORTION OF SAID INTERMEDIATE SEALING ZONE AND EXTENDING RADIALLY INWARDLY BENEATH SAID TOP SEALING ZONE. 